Liupanshui Huan'erguan Scenic Area

　　    I had long heard that the farmer paintings of Shuicheng County are renowned both in China and abroad, especially those from Huan'erguan in Douqing Township. This place not only has many farmer painters, but also boasts the highest number of painters who have won awards at the provincial and even national levels in Guizhou. Therefore, Huan'erguan became a must-visit destination on this trip.

　　    Huan'erguan, located within Cichong Village, Douqing Township, Shuicheng County, was once an ancient battlefield where the Shuixi Army resisted Wu Sangui, and also bears the footprints of the Red Ninth Army. Since ancient times, due to its steep and easily defensible terrain — so treacherous that even agile monkeys could not cross — it was named Huan'erguan ("Monkey Pass") by ancient people. In 1937, during the Long March, the Red Ninth Army passed through here. An old Red Army soldier from the Ninth Corps once commented about this path: “Since the beginning of the Long March, we’ve never traveled such a difficult road.” Today, Huan'erguan is not only one of the red tourism routes in Liupanshui, but also a village known for its farmer paintings. Among the more than 100 households in the village, over 50 people are skilled in creating farmer paintings.

　　    Huan'erguan is a small place name, primarily inhabited by the Waishu Miao subgroup of the Miao ethnic group, with a population of over 100 households and around 400 people. From a distance, the small village looks as if it is perched halfway up a mountain, nestled among blue skies, white clouds, and green trees, giving the impression of a fairytale house in the sky.

　　    At the entrance of Huan'erguan Village, you can already feel its cultural atmosphere: like roadsides in other towns and villages, there are occasionally propaganda steles, about two square meters in size, with slogans promoting policies such as “Walk your own path, love the common road” or “Finish junior high first, then go out to work.” But along the roadside of Huan'erguan, these steles don’t just feature text — they are also accompanied by corresponding farmer paintings, depicting a loving Miao family, with the daughter laughing gleefully on her mother’s back, while the father supports the mother and smiles at the child. The stele includes slogans such as: “Have fewer children, become prosperous faster.” Such steles naturally draw extra glances from passersby.

　　    On the wall of a small shop near the village, there is also a farmer painting showing dozens of young Miao men and women singing and dancing joyfully.